Walking The Right Path
by homesweethomicide13
Summary: University is a place to meet new people and further your dreams. But it's not all about the studying... Ten/Jack, Jack/Ianto, Owen/Tosh, Gwen/Rhys, Rose/Mickey ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1: Moving Day

**Title:** Walking The Right Path  
**Author:** homesweethomicide13  
**Rating:** M for later chapters, T until then.  
**Pairing:** Ten/Jack, Jack/Ianto, Owen/Tosh, Gwen/Rhys, Rose/Mickey  
**Warning:** Jack being Jack, bad language, mature themes  
**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I don't own anything relating to Doctor Who or Torchwood. Although I do have access to The Hub. No, seriously. My University common room is called The Hub.  
**Summary:** University is a place to meet new people and further your dreams. But it's not all about the studying...

**Walking The Right Path**

**Chapter 1: Moving Day**

Stepping out onto the heated tarmac of a bustling car park, Jack turned and stared up at the building he had parked in front of. He immediately took in the neutral pastel colours of the walls, and the rows of neat, plastic-framed windows. Some of them were open, obvious signs that the rooms beyond were occupied. He stuck a hand in his pocket and jangled the keys that nestled there, a grin on his face. All around him, people were pulling suitcases out of cars and struggling with bags as they walked towards the various doorways that led into the buildings surrounding the car park. He opened the back door of his car and pulled out his own bags, settling them on the floor beside him. Once he'd shut all doors and locked them, he lifted a rucksack onto his back and grabbed the extended handle of a large suitcase. He walked casually over to a door marked 'Block D' and took out his keys, opening the door with minor difficulty. He kept it open with his foot as he dragged his suitcase through into the hall beyond. Once he'd half-fallen through the door himself, he checked the little plastic card that had come with his keys, which told him his flat number.

"Number 23. Right." He then turned to the list of flat numbers beside the door, locating 23. "Top floor. Great." He muttered. "There had better be a damn lift." He grinned when he saw the metallic shine of the lift through another door to his right. He pressed the call button and waited for the lift to come down to the ground floor. There was a cheerful ping as it arrived, and the doors slid open, revealing the fact that it was rather spacious inside. He grinned again and pushed his suitcase through the doors and followed it a moment later. He found the button for the top floor and pressed it in. The doors had started to close when he heard an exasperated cry,

"Wait! Hold the doors!" Instinctively, he stuck his foot out in front of the closing door and jammed it open. A small Asian girl quickly darted past him, weighed down by several bags. She all but collapsed into the corner of the lift. "Thanks." She breathed out. He grinned and removed his foot from the doors, allowing them to close.

"No problem. What floor?" He asked, gesturing at the row of buttons. She gave a weak smile.

"Top floor." She told him. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Then we're neighbours." He told her. "Which flat? 23 or 24?" There were only two flats per floor, one at either end of the building. The girl pulled out a plastic card not unlike his own, and flashed it at him. His grin widened when he read the number. "Literally neighbours. I'm in 23, too." He held out a hand for her to shake, and she took it with a smile. "Jack Harkness."

"Toshiko Sato." She looked down at his one suitcase and shook her head slowly. "I don't understand how you can fit everything in that one suitcase. I could barely fit all my things in these." She waved a hand at the bags that took up most of the lift. Jack laughed.

"I'm just really good at packing." He winked playfully, his natural charm already creeping out despite his best efforts to contain it. He'd learnt from the past that openly flirting outrageously with people he'd just met wasn't always the best way to start the day. The lift pinged again as they reached the top floor. Jack pushed his suitcase out of the lift with one foot whilst picking up a couple of Toshiko's bags. "I'll give you a hand with these." He said with a laugh. Toshiko looked grateful. Jack hoisted two bags up onto one shoulder, feeling the weight pressing down heavily on him. "Bloody hell, what's in these?" Toshiko blushed.

"I have a lot of technical equipment, mostly for my course." She explained quietly. She unlocked the door to Flat 23 and held it open for Jack as he stumbled past with her bags. "I'm in Room B, so just… put them outside the door or something." He nodded and set the bags down by the door with the letter 'B' on the face of it.

"Not quite neighbours then." He laughed. "I'm in C, across the hall." Toshiko smiled and unlocked her door, pushing it open and stepping over the pile of bags to get into the room beyond. A door further down the hall opened, and a dark-skinned girl poked her head out.

"Hi! Oh god, I am _so_ glad I finally have flatmates. It has been _far_ too quiet here." She emerged fully from the room and walked down the hall towards them. "I moved in last week, 'cause my course started a bit early." She smiled at them. "I'm Martha Jones."

"Jack Harkness." Jack grinned and winked. He was already enjoying himself, and it was only the first day. He briefly wondered if the remaining flatmate was also as beautiful as the two he'd just met.

"Toshiko Sato." He noticed for the first time that, despite the Asian look and Japanese name, Toshiko's accent was distinctly from London. Perhaps she'd only been born in Japan, or just had Japanese parents, and had lived in London all her life? Her accent wasn't dissimilar to Martha's, actually. "You're from London, yes?" Martha nodded.

"I can tell you are too." Martha laughed. "And what about you, Jack? That's an American accent, right?"

"That's right, Miss Martha Jones." Jack grinned again, and stood with his hands on his hips.

"What made you come all the way over to England?" Martha asked him. He shrugged.

"Felt like a change, and I've always loved this country. Used to come here a lot when I was younger, with my family." His grin faded at the thought of his family. Ever since he'd lost his father in that car accident, he'd felt detached from everyone else. His mother had been driven mad with grief, eventually ending in her suicide, and his little brother Gray had simply lost the plot. Last time he'd seen his brother, he'd been behind barred and structurally reinforced windows. "Anyway, I'd better get this lot to my room." He said, quickly changing the subject. Toshiko nodded her agreement and stared down at her bags with a sigh.

"Need a hand?" Martha offered. Toshiko smiled.

"That would be great, thanks." Jack left the girls to it, opening the door to Room C and wheeling his suitcase inside. The door clicked shut behind him and he gazed around at the room. Not bad, considering. It was smaller than his room at home, but that was a given thing anyway. He'd been expecting something a lot smaller than this, so in all it wasn't too bad. There was a bed against one wall – only a single, though, instead of the double he was used to – and a desk along the opposite wall. His closet wasn't as big as he'd liked, but he'd find a way to fit all of his clothes in there. He grinned when he spotted the en-suite bathroom. He was _so_ glad he'd opted to pay a little extra for the en-suite. He set down the rucksack on his back and crossed to the window, looking out at the scene below him. He overlooked the car-park, where people were still milling about with bags and suitcases and boxes, wandering back and forth to collect all of their belongings. Beyond the other flat blocks, he could see the rest of the city, spreading out all the way to the edges, where rolling hills faded away into the distance.

There was a quiet knock on his door and he turned away from the window, calling out to whoever it was to come in. The door opened and Toshiko poked her head around it with a smile.

"What can I do for you?" He asked with a grin.

"Martha and I are going down to the common room to see who's about. You know, make friends with the neighbours. We were wondering if you wanted to come along." He considered his options. He could either decline, and unpack his stuff and get everything the way he wanted it as soon as possible, but risk giving the impression that he was either antisocial or a loner. Or, he could accept, and go and socialize with the other students – and risk giving the impression that he was an outrageous flirt that would sleep with anything if it was gorgeous enough. He hesitated for a moment, and then made his decision.

"Sure, okay. I'll meet you down there, is that alright? Just wanna get a few things sorted out first." He bit his lip and tried to think of a likely excuse for wanting to hang back. "Gotta call a couple of people, let them know I got here okay." Toshiko nodded.

"I understand. I just got off the phone with my mother, actually. She called halfway through moving my stuff into my room, already says she misses me." Toshiko laughed quietly, and Jack forced a grin onto his face. "We'll see you later." He nodded and gave a little wave, and she disappeared, closing the door behind her. Sighing, Jack ran a hand through his immaculate hair and sat down on the edge of the bed. This was good for him, he knew that. He needed a drastic change in lifestyle, and coming here was his best option. He could start again here. There was, however, someone he _did_ want to call. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and jabbed in the number he'd memorized from the moment he received it. He could probably type it in with his eyes closed. He listened to the phone on the other end ring twice, three times before it was answered.

"Hello gorgeous, calling to say you've changed your mind and you're coming home to me?" Jack instantly smiled.

"Unfortunately, no." He replied with a laugh. "I just got here, thought you might like to know that I'm alright." There was a soft chuckle on the other end.

"I still can't believe you've actually done it. You've actually gone and left me." Jack rolled his eyes, but said nothing. "I'll keep an eye on Gray for you, if you like."

"No, that's okay. I know he's being taken care of." He sighed. "It's gonna be hard to get used to this place."

"Seen any hotties yet?"

"That is so typical of you." He waited a beat. "A couple, actually." He grinned at the laughter on the other end.

"Girls or guys?"

"Girls. But there were some good-looking guys around when I arrived."

"Better looking than me?"

"Perhaps." Jack teased.

"I'm hurt." He could practically hear the pout in the other's voice. It made him smile.

"Aw, c'mon. You know there's no other blonde in the world that can come close to you." He grinned. "And you promised not to get jealous if I pick up a gorgeous guy in a bar and tell you all about him the next day."

"I know, I know. But I'll need photos."

"Of him or of me?" Jack laughed.

"Both. Preferably in the same photo. And minus clothes."

"Pervert."

"Oh you love it."

"Of course." Jack turned and fell back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a distant smile on his face. "Which is why I'm going to tell you that I'm lying in bed right now."

"Mmm, really? Naked?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide." Jack turned onto his front, propping himself up on his elbows. "Picturing it?"

"Oh yeah." There was a pause. "I'm gonna really miss you, Jack." The sudden surge of emotion in the voice made the smile on Jack's face vanish in an instant. "Really, really miss you. And not just 'cause you're bloody gorgeous."

"I know. I'm gonna miss you too. I have no one to perve on pretty boys with." The laughter that followed was forced, and sounded it. There was a long silence.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you." Jack sighed softly.

"Don't."

"But I do. You promise you'll come back to me once this is all over?" Jack couldn't promise that. A lot could happen in three years.

"You know I can't make that promise. You can't either. We're very alike, you know. You'll meet someone while I'm gone, and I'll have no one to come back to. Likewise, I'll meet someone while I'm here, and you'll have no one coming back to you. It'll just end up hurting us both." The silence on the other end was tense. Jack sighed again, knowing where this conversation was going to go if he didn't end it soon. "Look, my flatmates have invited me to go and socialize with them. I'll call you again soon, okay?" More silence. "Shit, John, don't make this worse."

"You go have fun, Jack." The line went dead. Jack tossed his phone onto the bed beside him and groaned in frustration, burying his face in the pillow. He and John had been friends since school, sometimes more, but it had never been anything serious or official. John could say that he loved him, but Jack knew that the love was only the kind of love you'd feel for a family member, or a close friend. John had probably never loved anyone any other way. Of course, John had been disappointed to hear that Jack was moving to England to go to University, especially when he'd found out that he wouldn't be back for at least three years. It had been harder to leave him behind more than anyone else.

He got up off the bed and picked up his phone, depositing it into a pocket once again. Shaking his head to clear out all thoughts of John, he grabbed his keys and headed out of his room. Best join Martha and Toshiko, and socialize a little to keep his mind off home. He locked the flat door behind him, and turned towards the lift – and stopped dead in his tracks. The most beautiful young man he'd ever seen was stood at the lift doors, waiting. His chestnut-brown hair was impressively thick and seemed to defy gravity without the use of hair gel. He was dressed in a brown pinstripe suit – of all things – and a long, dust-brown trench coat. Jack smirked at the cream Converse shoes. They seemed so out of place. He casually strode over, standing beside the young man as close as he could without looking like a weirdo. He glanced sideways and met the man's eyes – soft, deep brown in colour – and his lips quirked into a smile. The man returned it.

"Which number you in?" Jack asked, wondering if this was the resident of Room A. _Hoping_ that he was the resident of Room A.

"24." His accent was hard to place, but Jack felt he could hear a trace of Scotland in the syllables. "You?"

"23." Jack told him with a quick grin. "Did you just move in?" He nodded. "Me too. I'm Jack, by the way." He held out a hand, and the man shook it.

"Theta." He smiled. Jack raised one eyebrow, and Theta laughed. "Don't ask. My parents weren't exactly average people." He shrugged casually. If he noticed that Jack still hadn't let go of his hand, he didn't show it. "I get a lot of questions asked about it, but even I don't know where it comes from." The lift pinged open, and Jack finally released Theta's hand. They stepped into the lift together, and Jack pressed the button for the ground floor. "Are your flatmates nice?" Jack smirked to himself. He recognized small talk when he heard it.

"Sure, what I know of them so far." He chanced a sideward glance at Theta, admiring the young man's beautifully sculpted face. "Yours?"

"Rose is a sweetheart. Spoken to her more than the others, as she also moved in today. Donna and Owen were already here. Owen's course started a week earlier, and Donna moved in a couple of days ago."

"Ah, yeah. Martha moved in last week, too." They fell silent for a moment. "Are you off anywhere? Or are you just going to socialize?"

"Going into the town to pick up some essentials." Theta told him. "I had to leave some things behind, so I need to replace them." Jack hid his disappointment. He wanted to spend more time with him.

"Maybe Toshiko should have thought about doing that." He murmured, mostly to himself. The lift hit the ground floor and pinged open, and Theta stepped out. Jack followed quickly, holding open the door for him, earning a grin in response. "Well, I suppose I'll see you some other time." He said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Yeah, guess you will." Theta agreed. "Bye." Jack lifted a hand and gave a pathetic wave as Theta strolled off out of the block. Jack watched him leave with a dejected look on his face.

"Who kicked your puppy?" He turned to see a guy standing a few paces away, his short dark hair cut close to his head. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a grey hooded top, and there was a slight scowl on his face. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You look happy." He observed. The guy shrugged one shoulder.

"This might all be new and exciting to you, but I've been here long enough as it is." He walked forward and went to push past Jack. "It's not that great after a week or so." Jack smiled. He liked this guy – he didn't know why, but there was just something about him…

"I'm sure you're right. Doesn't look too much fun from where I'm standing." The guy simply grunted in response, and ducked through the doorway, shuffling off towards the car park. Jack shook his head with a smile and left the block, walking down towards the common room. Better find Toshiko and Martha, before they came to find _him_. Of course, his mind was still firmly focused on Theta. He couldn't wait for their paths to cross once more. And when that happened, he'd make sure to flirt a little bit, let Theta know which angle he was coming from. Who knows, maybe Theta was running along the same track. He sure hoped so. With a grin, he pushed through the common room door, marked clearly with a big sign saying 'The Hub' with 'Common Room' written beneath it. There was a lot of noise coming from inside, and he just knew it was going to be full of people waiting to make new friends. Thoughts of John and Theta were soon pushed to the back of his mind as he located Martha and Toshiko, and began the socializing process.

Perhaps this had been the right decision, after all.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Inspiration for this story came when I first noticed that my new University common room was called The Hub. I had a good laugh with some mates about that XD (We have officially named our accomodation blocks as Torchwood 4). Then the story progressed when I met a zillion people in my accomodation block, all of whom were so very different and all appeared to be on as many different courses as you can think of._

_I KNOW I shouldn't be writing ANOTHER story, when I haven't finished the other two, but... I couldn't not write this one, given the subject. Plus since I'm getting all my inspiration from just walking around the campus and living the student life, I might actually be able to update this quite regularly (providing I don't have too many assignments to do). If you're wondering about the main pairing for Jack throughout the story, it's best not to even try and decide which one it is. It is Jack after all. I think I should just put the pairing down as Jack/Everyone. XD_

_Anyway, I apologize for the long author's note, but I hope you're intrigued by this story and want to read more! If so, please review so I know :D Oh, and if you have any questions put them in a review and I'll answer them BUT I will only reply to SIGNED REVIEWS. Sorry anonymous reviewers, but I hate answering reviews in the next chapter :/_

_- homesweethomicide13_


	2. Chapter 2: Neighbours

**Chapter 2: Neighbours**

Jack, Martha and Toshiko fell out of the lift onto their floor, laughing uncontrollably. Martha had tears in her eyes as she clutched at her side, but her laughter didn't falter even for a second. Toshiko fell against the closest wall, one hand to her chest. Jack stopped laughing long enough to take several deep breaths, and noticed that they were being watched. A tall girl with long red hair was standing by the door to Flat 24, a smirk on her face.

"Must have been some joke." She said to Jack, and he grinned.

"You bet." He winked. "I'm a killer for telling stories." The girl smirked and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"You'll have to tell me a couple sometime." Jack sidled over to her, easily recognizing a flirtatious edge to her voice. He placed the palm of his hand on the wall beside her, leaning in slightly towards her. He lowered his tone to a more seductive lilt, and slowly traced his upper lip with the tip of his tongue.

"I'd be very happy to." He saw her confident smirk falter slightly and a faint blush spread across her face at his close proximity. Jack was about to take his flirting a step further when an arm was linked through his and he was jerked away from the wall.

"Leave the poor girl alone, Harkness." Martha laughed, shoving him towards Tosh and turning to the red-haired girl. "Flirts with anything that moves, I swear. Socialising with him is an adventure, I tell you that." The girl laughed. "I'm Martha, that's Tosh, and Mr Flirtypants here is Jack. We're in 23."

"Donna." Jack perked up at the name – Theta had mentioned a Donna in their conversation earlier. "I've seen you around, actually." She said to Martha. "I was here a couple of days ago; saw you getting into the lift once." Martha smiled.

"Ah, yeah. I've been here a week."

"Same as Owen then, one of my flatmates." A grin spread across Martha's face.

"I know Owen; he's doing the same course as me. We hung out a little before anyone else moved in." Tosh had by now fully recovered from her laughing fit, just as her mobile rang. She smiled apologetically at the other girls for the interruption, and quickly answered it in Japanese. She ducked into number 23, the door clicking closed behind her. Jack watched the two girls continue with their conversation and kept quiet. Running into Donna had reminded Jack of Theta, and he briefly wondered when he'd be back from the town, if he wasn't back already. He just had to get to know the guy better.

"So, Jack," Donna turned to him with a smile, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Are you the only guy in 23?" Jack grinned.

"At the moment. We still have a flatmate to move in." He told her. "I'm not sure what I'm hoping for more – a fellow male, or another beautiful female." He shot her his infamous Harkness grin. Martha rolled her eyes.

"I don't know which would be worse." She teased. "Judging by your earlier actions, I'm going to assume your flirting is not limited to the girls." Jack said nothing, but winked playfully.

"Are you two going out tonight? There's a welcome party down at the Student Union club venue, purely for the new students." Jack raised his eyebrows and grinned.

"Really? Sounds like it could be fun." Martha nodded agreement.

"There's another one tomorrow night, too. Most people move in tomorrow, apparently, so they've made it a weekend thing." Donna rummaged in a bag she had over one shoulder, and pulled out a folded leaflet. "Here, this has all the information on it." Martha took it and unfolded it, holding it so Jack could also read it. It listed the venue and the entry ticket prices – reasonably cheap, considering – and the drinks they were selling on special offer. "Keep that one; we have about seven of them already." Donna laughed.

"Thanks." Martha smiled, tucking it into a pocket. "Are all of your flatmates going?" Donna shrugged one shoulder.

"Rose and Owen are up for it, but I'm not so sure about Theta…" Jack couldn't stop the grin breaking onto his face. "He seems like a bit of a loner, really. Keeps to himself."

"Probably just nervous, or shy." Martha murmured.

"He should come along. I could convince him, if I tried." Jack told Donna. Martha rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him.

"He doesn't need your flirting, Jack. Poor guy's probably scared about coming to a new place surrounded by new people. Last thing he needs is some over-confident American trying to get into his pants." Jack and Donna laughed, and Toshiko appeared in the doorway to flat 23.

"What's so funny?" She asked with a grin.

*

Jack bounded out of his en-suite, towel tied loosely around his hips, another draped around his neck. His hair, still dripping wet, flicked droplets of water everywhere as he spun around in a circle and pranced over to his wardrobe. He moved his hips to the music drifting through his room, flinging open the doors and rifling through his recently unpacked clothes, trying to find something suitable to wear. He picked out a pair of slim jeans and a dark blue button-up shirt, and a plain white tee. Tossing them onto his bed, he hooked the handle of one of his drawers with his foot and tugged it open, holding one hand on his towel as he bent to retrieve a pair of boxers.

He dressed slowly – he kept having to stop in the middle of something to dance – and then set to work on his hair. It would naturally flop into his usual style (even he didn't know how it did that), but it always looked fluffier if he set the hair dryer on it. He turned the music up so that he'd still hear it over the hair dryer, and switched it on. He felt the pounding vibrations of the bass thumping through the floor, and his body swayed easily with the beat. His hair didn't take long to dry, and he kept the music nice and loud as he finished up. He doused himself in cologne and pulled on his boots, not bothering to unlace them before doing so.

When someone knocked on his door, he looked up from a pair of braces he held in his hand, and called out for them to enter. Martha swung open the door, looking rather fantastic in a short dark red dress with black thigh-high boots, and flashed him a dazzling smile. Jack wolf whistled as he eyed her up and down.

"Well, well, Miss Jones. I must say you are looking fabulous!" Jack grinned, setting the braces down and grabbing her hand, pulling her into him and dipping her as if they'd been dancing. Martha laughed as he tugged her back into an upright position, but kept her pressed close to him.

"Not looking so bad yourself, Mr Harkness." She smirked. "Are you nearly ready? We're supposed to be over at 24 in five minutes." Jack grinned.

"It's not going to take us five minutes to get there, Martha. Won't even take five seconds." He stepped back, releasing his hold on her, and fixed the braces to his jeans, letting them hang loose around his legs. They had become a trademark accessory for him back home – John had the two leather belts that did absolutely nothing to hold up his pants, and he had the braces. "There. All done." He picked up his phone, wallet and keys from the desk and switched off his music, taking Martha's hand and heading for the door. "Tosh all done?" Martha nodded. Jack locked his door and they went through into the kitchen. Toshiko was sat at the counter, a bottle of wine sat in front of her, a smile on her face. She'd put on a purple halter top with a silvery mini-skirt, from what he could see. "Gorgeous." He grinned, and was thrilled when she blushed slightly.

"Come on then Tosh, let's head over." Toshiko nodded and picked up the bottle of wine. Martha opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of vodka and a 2 litre bottle of Coca Cola. Together, they left their flat, locking the door behind them. They crossed the hall to number 24 and walked through the door, instantly walking over to what they knew was the kitchen. Earlier, Donna had suggested that they all meet up in one flat an hour or so before the welcome party started, to get to know each other more and relax before heading off.

Donna was sat on one of the sofas with a blonde girl who obviously loved the colour pink. There were a couple of empty bottles on the small coffee table in front of them, and they cheered when Jack, Martha and Toshiko walked into the room.

"Here they are!" Donna grinned, jumping to her feet – as best she could in the high heeled shoes she was wearing – and tugged the other girl up with her. "Everyone, this is Rose. Rose, this is Martha, Toshiko, and Jack." Rose grinned at them.

"Hi! It's nice to meet the neighbours!" She laughed. Jack stepped forward, took her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles softly.

"Pleasure is all mine, believe me." He was pleased at the girly giggle that she gave in response, and laughed as Donna visibly rolled her eyes at Martha.

"You really weren't joking." Martha shook her head with a grin. "Right! I'll go and get Owen. He's hiding in his room, I think." She exited the kitchen. Rose waved them over to the sofas.

"Take a seat, open your booze, have a laugh." She said quickly, taking her own seat again. Music was coming from somewhere, quiet but loud enough to be an influence on the atmosphere of the room. Donna came back into the kitchen, a frown on her face.

"Owen isn't answering the door. He better not bail on us." She smirked at Rose.

"If he does he is _so_ gonna regret it." She giggled. She was opening Toshiko's bottle of wine for her, and Tosh smiled, holding a glass ready in her hand. Martha poured out a vodka and Coke, offering one to Rose and Donna, who both readily accepted.

"What about your other flatmate? Theta, was it?" Martha questioned as she poured the drinks.

"Cooped up in his room all day. Barely said a word when we asked him if he wanted to come out with us." Donna sighed, and turned to Jack. "Maybe your flirting will do the trick. Go and knock on his door – Room A." Jack beamed and dashed out of the kitchen, trying not to look too eager. As he stepped out into the hall he nearly ran into a familiar young man.

"Well, you're looking happier." The guy muttered. He still looked grumpy, although he'd swapped the baggy jeans and hooded top for tight jeans and a leather jacket. Jack grinned at him.

"No kicked puppies this time." He laughed. "You must be Owen. I'm Jack." He held out a hand, and – surprisingly – Owen shook it. Jack then noticed the direction he'd been walking from, and the carrier bag in one hand. "Ah. Donna was wondering why you weren't answering your door." Owen smiled and shook the bag.

"Getting essentials." He explained. "Buying alcohol before going out is the cheaper option. Bars are way too expensive these days." There was a pause. "I'd better go face the wrath of Noble and explain why I wasn't answering the door." Jack nodded, and Owen stepped past him to enter the kitchen. Jack grinned when he heard Donna's distinctive voice instantly announce Owen's arrival. He located room A and took a deep breath before knocking on the door – four sharp raps on the wood. There was a shuffling sound on the other side, then soft footsteps, and the click of a lock. The door opened, and Jack grinned at the man in the doorway. He'd lost the jacket of the pinstripe suit, and the tie had been significantly loosened, but he still looked smart, and neat.

"Oh… hello again." Theta smiled. "Donna mentioned you were coming over."

"Yeah, we're gonna head out to the welcome party in an hour or so." Jack told him with a grin. "I hear you're not joining us." Theta's smile faltered for a second.

"Not really my thing." He shrugged. "You guys have fun though." Jack shook his head slowly.

"Nah, you're not getting away that easy." He leant on the doorframe. "You should come with us. Mingle, get to know some people. It could be fun."

"I don't drink, and I don't dance." Theta said in a slightly firmer tone. Jack shrugged.

"I don't drink either. Well, I'll have the occasional drink now and then, but unless it's something special I won't touch a drop." He smiled warmly. "I do dance, though." Theta's smile was back in an instant.

"Even so…"

"Come _on_." Jack sighed. "You're not going to get many chances to do this sort of thing once the courses get started. Even if you only go out tonight, at least you can say you had a taste of the student life." He met Theta's eyes firmly, almost lost himself in the intense brown. "Besides, I'd like to get to know you a bit better. If we're the only two sober ones, we'll have plenty of time to get… acquainted." He could have imagined it, but was that a slight blush on Theta's face? Jack reached out and put a hand on Theta's arm, gently squeezing. Theta tensed slightly, but made no move to shake him off. "If you come out tonight, I promise I won't pester you to come out again unless you want to." Theta still seemed undecided, so Jack brought out his secret weapon – the sad puppy look. It worked on _everyone_. Theta saw that adorable expression on his face and felt himself giving in. "Please? For me?"

"…Oh alright. Just… let me get changed or something." Jack was instantly grinning.

"Brilliant! I'll go tell the others. Meet you in the kitchen?" Theta nodded, and Jack bounded into the kitchen. From his doorway, Theta laughed quietly. He had to admit… Jack was kinda cute. Now… what the hell was he gonna wear?

*

An hour and a half later and they were standing in the queue for the club. Rose, Donna and Martha were all already half-drunk, Toshiko not so much, but getting there. They weren't too far from the entrance to the club, but the line was moving slowly. Owen, beer can in hand, was quietly complaining about the wait. Donna would playfully swat at him every time he whined, and he would grin back at her, already thinking of something else he could complain about. Eventually, Rose got bored and pulled out her phone, and a few seconds later it began playing a dance tune. Instantly she, Donna and Martha began to dance and sing along, not caring if the other students in the queue were giving them funny looks.

"Oh god. How embarrassing can this get?" Owen sighed, but he was smiling to show he wasn't completely serious. Theta was watching the girls with a faint smile, admiring their courage to sing and dance in public like that. Tosh was also admiring their bravery, and wishing she was as confident as they were.

"Ah, keep it zipped Owen." Jack grinned. "Nothing wrong with a song and a dance to pass the time." And to prove his point, Jack joined in with the girls. Rose cheered and slung an arm around his neck, almost forcing him to dance with her – which he did without any complaint. The people around them were turning to watch, some of them smiling. Jack noticed a couple of them started to move slowly to the music, probably not even aware that they were doing it. He left Rose and turned to dance with Martha, and then with Donna. He even took Tosh's hand and brought her into the dance, twirling her around. She laughed as he dipped her, holding onto him like a lifeline even though she was sure he wouldn't drop her. Theta watched Jack with a smile. He was obviously a genuinely wonderful guy, full of life and confidence.

Eventually the line started to move quicker, and they found themselves flashing ID at the bouncers to be let in. They felt the bass of the music before they heard it, pounding against the walls and drumming through their bodies. While they could still hear each other without having to yell, they agreed to buy a drink first before moving to the dance floor. Considering it was only open to the new students, the bar wasn't too busy, although they had been some of the first ones in. Toshiko ordered a White Wine Spritzer, and Martha went again for the Vodka and Coke. Donna ended up with a G&T, Owen with another beer, and Rose with a vodka and apple flavour drink. There were tables near the back of the club, and they managed to find an empty one, pulling up chairs all around it. Jack set down the glass of water he'd asked for and took a seat beside Theta, flashing him his trademark Harkness grin as he did so. They all launched into conversation, ranging from ages to families and then onto hilarious stories of their pasts. After the first couple of drinks had been finished, Rose, Donna and Martha agreed to go down to the dance floor, and Tosh jumped up to go with them. Owen sighed, downed the last of his beer, and followed the girls, leaving Theta and Jack alone at the table.

"So, where did you say you were from?" Jack asked after Owen had disappeared into the crowd. It was quieter back here, and he didn't have to shout too much for Theta to hear him.

"Scotland, originally. But I haven't lived there for…ooh, at least nineteen years." Jack raised his eyebrows. He'd already learnt that Theta was the same age as he was – twenty-one – so that meant he'd left Scotland at the age of two. He briefly wondered why, but figured he'd get to that eventually.

"Where did you go after that?"

"Lots of places. I don't really stay in one place for more than a couple of years." Theta shrugged. "It's easier that way." Jack detected a hint of sadness in Theta's voice, but didn't push the subject. He didn't want to scare Theta away on the first night. "What about you? Other than America." Theta smiled, and Jack laughed.

"Small place on the coast, called the Boeshane Peninsula. Really tiny." Jack grinned. Theta raised his eyebrows.

"Never heard of it." He told Jack, taking a sip of his own water.

"Not surprised. No one ever has." He laughed again. "I went to high school in the city next to our village. In fact I spent most of my time in that city." He shrugged. "More things to do, I suppose."

"So what made you come all the way down here? Were there no universities back home you wanted to go to?" He paused. "Wait, you call it _college_, right?" Jack nodded.

"Call it what you want, it's all the same thing." He picked up his glass of water and swirled the liquid inside it. "I needed a break from home. Needed a change. So I looked at the places in England and decided this was my best bet." He met Theta's eyes. "And you? Why'd you choose this place?"

"Like you, I felt like a change. I'd been in the last city for about a year and a half, so I decided to move on. Plus I'd heard good things about the course I wanted to do." Jack raised his eyebrows in question, and Theta smiled. "Ah, it's complicated. Science stuff." When Jack remained silent, he sighed. "Physics, with Planetary and Space Physics."

"Quite a mouthful." Jack grinned. "So, you're into all that space stuff and science then?" Theta nodded. "Well fair enough. Each to their own."

"What are you studying?"

"Music and Film Studies." Jack told him. Theta smiled and nodded appreciatively. He hadn't quite expected to hear that – although he wasn't quite sure what he _had_ expected, perhaps modelling or something to do with fashion? Jack was certainly good-looking enough for modelling. He blushed slightly at his thoughts, grateful that the dim lighting in the club kept his face in enough shadow so that Jack wouldn't notice. Jack held up his glass of water towards him, and his signature grin was plastered to his face. "Well, here's to a good three years." Theta nodded, and clinked his glass against Jack's. He watched Jack down the contents of his glass and slam it down onto the table, standing up as he did so. "I'm going to find the others and dance. You coming?"

"No, I'll stay here. Hold the table. I don't dance." Theta said firmly, shaking his head. Jack smirked and held out his hand.

"Come on, Theta." The way Jack purred his name sent a shiver up his spine. "I'm sure the world won't implode if you dance just the once." Theta met those sparkling blue eyes and sighed. He wasn't going to get out of it, so he may as well get it over with. He finished his water and stood up, debating about whether to take Jack's outstretched hand or not. In the end, Jack decided for him, slipping his hand into Theta's and pulling him towards the dance floor.

They found their friends easily – Donna was a lot taller than most of the other girls, and quite a few of the boys – and both Theta and Jack were amused to see Owen enjoying himself as much as the girls were. Rose had found a young-looking dark-skinned lad at some point, and was dancing with him, having the time of her life. Donna, Martha and Tosh were dancing in a circle with Owen in the middle, all of them singing along with the music, not caring what the people around them thought.

"The beauty of alcohol." Jack murmured to himself. Donna noticed Jack and Theta and eased Martha back to widen their circle. Owen grinned at Jack and beckoned him over, and Jack jumped into the circle with him, already moving to the music. Theta shuffled awkwardly at the edge of the circle, looking very uncomfortable. After a while, Owen took Tosh's hand and started to dance with her, and Jack took turns dancing with Martha and Donna. Theta watched them all with a smile, a part of him wishing he was able to have as much fun as they were. He looked around the room, trying to figure out a place he could go and stand, out of the way, but where he could remain in sight of his friends. He jumped when someone grabbed his hand and tugged him forward, but relaxed when he came face-to-face with Jack. "Don't think you're getting away, Theta. You're gonna dance with me."

Heat flew to Theta's face when Jack pulled him in close, an arm sliding around his waist. Jack's other hand rested on his hip, their bodies pushed together so close Theta could feel the heat radiating from Jack. He moved to push him back slightly, give himself some more space, but Jack's grip tightened.

"Relax. Just listen, and let the music take control." Jack's lips were pressed to his ear, his voice low and soft. Theta felt Jack's hands begin to guide his hips, and he slowly began to move alongside Jack, surprised at how easy he was finding it. He rested his hands on Jack's shoulders, leaning into him. This felt… nice.

Jack smiled when he felt Theta relax into him and loosened his grip slightly now that he was sure the other man wasn't going to run away. He was amazed at how easily Theta's body moved with his in almost perfect synchronisation. They were very close; hardly one part of their bodies wasn't in contact with each other's. He became aware that Martha was staring at him in surprise, and others had also noticed them, but he didn't care. Who knew when Theta was going to allow him to get this close again? If he ever would. He was going to make the most of it.

His only problem was that dancing so close to such a gorgeous young man was _very_ arousing. He didn't want to scare Theta off, no way, so he had to keep his hormones in check. He was doing a pretty good job so far.

Theta's hands slowly slipped down from his shoulders, and circled around to his back, pushing them even closer together. Theta's head gently rested against his, and Jack swallowed hard as Theta murmured a soft hum of pleasure right next to his ear. Jack shifted his weight slightly, the tiny movement grinding their hips together. Now it was getting harder to control his hormones. The song they were dancing to began to draw to a close, and Jack saw this as a perfect opportunity to excuse himself – bathroom, another drink, _anything_ to distract himself. He pulled back, turned his head to tell Theta to excuse him, and stopped short. Theta's eyes met his, their faces barely an inch apart. Jack spotted the faint blush on Theta's face, registered the intense expression in those beautiful, rich brown eyes, and noticed for the first time that Theta looked as flustered as he felt. _You could cut the sexual tension with a knife_, Jack thought. He ran his tongue over his lips, never breaking eye contact. Perhaps it would be okay if he just… leant forward…

"Jack!" The connection broke and they both stepped back. Theta instantly turned away, and Jack sighed. Donna was stood beside them, grinning. "We're bored of this place now, so we're gonna go on a bar crawl or something. You coming?" Jack tore his eyes away from Theta and shot her a grin.

"Sure. Could be fun." She nodded, and linked arms with Martha. Owen was in the lead, holding Tosh's hand, who in turn had linked fingers with the dark-skinned lad Rose had picked up. Martha linked arms with Rose, and Donna held out her hand for Jack to take. He grabbed her hand and turned back to Theta with a smile. "Coming?" He offered the other man his hand, half expecting Theta to turn it down, but found to his pleasant surprise that Theta's hand was suddenly in his, and they were being dragged away by the others.

The cool outside air came as a shock after the heat of the club. They stood for a moment, cooling themselves off. Jack kept his gaze on Theta, who was staring off into the distance. Taking a chance, he gently ran his fingertips along the underside of Theta's wrist, pausing just before he got to Theta's hand. Usually when he did this, the other person would get the hint and take his hand. Theta didn't. He turned to face Jack, a look of surprise on his face.

"Right, boys! Where are we headed?" Rose asked with a grin. Jack sighed and turned away from Theta.

"I know of a great bar not far from here." The new guy told them. After a quick glance around at each other, it was decided that the bar was to be their destination. Jack strolled over to the guy and grinned at him.

"Not to sound rude, but who the hell are you?" He kept the grin on his face to show that he wasn't being nasty, and the guy laughed.

"Mickey, and who the hell are you?" Jack's grin widened. He liked this guy already.

"Jack Harkness." They shook hands. "I see you've been acquainted with our dear Rose." Mickey nodded with a smirk. He glanced over his shoulder at Theta, who was walking behind them a few paces.

"So what's the deal with you and that tall skinny bloke?" Mickey asked him. He'd seen how the two of them had been dancing earlier. Jack just shrugged.

"Nothing. Only just met everyone here." He told Mickey, who nodded slowly. Rose chose that moment to slow her pace and claim Mickey once again, leaving Jack to walk alone. He heard the soft footfalls behind him quicken, and in a second or two, Theta was at his side. "You don't have to come along if you don't want to, you know."

"It's okay. Like you said, I might not get the chance to do this again once I start getting assignments." Theta smiled. "Plus it's a good way to get to know people." He mimicked the act of drinking. "People always talk more when they've been drinking. You learn a lot about someone when they're intoxicated. It's like they drop all their defensive barriers and show their true colours. Sometimes that's not always the best thing – people can turn out to be really nasty on the inside – but most often, it's a good way to see inside someone." He met Jack's eyes. "Don't you think?" Jack smiled.

"Yeah." He agreed. "I totally agree."

*

Jack checked the time on his phone and grinned. They'd been out for hours now, and none of them seemed to be ready to head back at any moment. They were in the fourth bar of the night, sat around one of the larger tables at the back. The girls were all singing along to the song currently playing through hidden speakers, and Mickey and Owen were having a deep, animated discussion about something. Jack met Theta's eyes from where he was sat across the table and smiled.

"It's almost 2am." He told him. Theta laughed.

"Night is still young." He replied, picking up his glass of water and taking a long swig from it. There was a moment of silence. "So, was it hard to leave your family behind to come here?" Jack kept the harsh jolt of pain that shot through him from showing on his face.

"Yeah." Was the only reply he gave. He didn't want to tell Theta about his dysfunctional family just yet. Even before the accident that had ripped them all apart, things had never been perfect. Never been normal. "What about you? Got any family somewhere, waiting for your return?" Theta's eyes darkened, and Jack realized that maybe he wasn't the only one with a dark history.

"Not exactly." The darkness quickly faded and Theta turned to join in with Owen and Mickey's conversation. Jack sat back in his chair and watched the brunette in silence. There was something sad about the way Theta had dismissed the question with a relatively non-committal response, as if he'd rather not get into that particular subject, and Jack was determined to find out why. He'd take his time with it, however.

After all, he had at least three years.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Some of you might think things are moving pretty fast between Jack and Theta, considering they've only just met, but trust me - they're not going to suddenly be madly in love with each other in the next chapter or something stupid. In fact, you might have to wait a while before it goes any further between them :P I know from my own experience that the first night is always mental - bar crawls and drunken fun is a must, especially in the first week when all the students have moved in._

_Next chapter: Meet Jones, Ianto Jones._

_Oh, and I'll give out virtual cookies to those who can spot the few references to things that have been said in past Doctor Who episodes. There's a couple in there, some more obvious than others. I'll probably be putting more of them in throughout the story, so be sure to look out for them :P_

_- homesweethomicide13_


	3. Chapter 3: Meet Jones, Ianto Jones

**Chapter 3: Meet Jones, Ianto Jones**

It was Jack's phone that woke him up. One arm emerged from the heap of duvet and slowly pushed back a corner, revealing a face and a head of very tousled hair. Grumbling in sleepy frustration, he patted along the bedside table until his fingers found his phone, and he finally opened his eyes to glare at the Caller ID. The scowl didn't leave his face as he answered.

"What the fuck do you want?" He growled. He wasn't a morning person. Well, at least when he'd only crawled into bed a few hours earlier.

"That's a charming way to answer your phone." Jack rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for polite small talk. "Maybe I shouldn't have bothered calling."

"Stop huffing, John. It doesn't suit you." He tried to bury himself further into the warmth of the bed, his eyes half-closed as he felt the edges of sleep crawling back into his mind. "Now get to the point. Why did you call? More importantly, can it wait until a decent hour, when I'm not as likely to fly back over there just to punch you in the face?" John actually had the nerve to laugh on the other end.

"I forgot how irritable you are in the mornings." There was a wistful tone to his voice, and Jack just _knew_ which particular mornings John was remembering. "I actually called to apologize for how I ended our conversation yesterday. But if you feel that can wait…"

"No, no. I'll allow that one." Jack sat up, one hand ruffling his own hair as he attempted to wake up a little more. "Realized what a prick you were being?"

"Gee, thanks." John drawled.

"You know it's true." Jack yawned. "But I'll forgive you. Just cause that's one of the reasons I love ya." He yawned, again. "Is that it? Can I go back to sleep now? I only went to bed," he checked his clock, "four hours ago."

"Good night?"

"Was alright. Had a laugh." He pulled the duvet around his bare chest as the morning chill began to steal into the room. "Why aren't you in bed? It's gotta be pretty late over there."

"I am in bed, Jack." John laughed. "Lying in bed, thinking of you as I wait to fall asleep." If it had been said by anyone other than John, Jack would have found that vaguely romantic. But, since John had been the one who'd said it, he knew it was only extremely perverted.

"Stop touching yourself and go to sleep." He told his old friend with a laugh.

"I love it when you talk dirty to me."

"Goodnight, John."

"Good morning, Jacky." They shared a laugh before John hung up, and Jack set his phone down on the bedside table. He was about to fall back into bed and resume his much-needed sleep when he heard a series of thumps from the corridor outside.

"Please don't tell me that's Martha just coming home." Jack laughed to himself. Four hours ago, he'd left Donna, Rose, Martha, Mickey and Owen in the last bar of the evening, choosing to walk home with Theta and Tosh and go to bed. He got up and pulled on a pair of jeans before crossing the room to the door. He unlocked it and swung it open, expecting to see Martha stumbling down the hall. To his surprise, he only saw a collection of suitcases in front of room A. The door to the room was closed, but judging from the sounds coming from behind it, there was someone in there. He grinned. Their final flatmate had moved in, it would seem. The door handle turned, and Jack leant on the doorframe, already wondering at the identity of this new flatmate. Boy or girl? He thought there was a higher chance of it being a guy than a girl. Either way, he was happy.

The door opened and a handsome young man stopped in his tracks, obviously surprised to see Jack standing there. He was – to Jack's amusement – dressed in a smart shirt, waistcoat, and tie, with black slacks and smart shoes. His hair was dark brown, cut short, and from where he was standing, Jack guessed that his eyes were either blue or green. They looked light in colour, anyway. And… yeah, this guy was pretty damn gorgeous.

"Morning." Jack smirked. "Need a hand?" The guy seemed a little flustered, and instantly averted his gaze.

"No, it's okay. I think I can manage." He replied in a beautiful Welsh lilt. "My sister's on her way up with a couple more bags." Jack moved from his doorway, and walked over to him.

"So, can I get a name?" He asked with a grin, holding out his hand.

"Jones." He replied. "Ianto Jones." He shook Jack's hand with a pleasant smile.

"Nice to meet you Jones, Ianto Jones." Jack laughed. "Welcome to 23." Ianto's smile widened. When he'd opened his door and spotted Jack across the hall, the first thing that caught his attention was the dazzling grin on his face. Then, of course, he'd noticed the lack of a shirt, and the well-toned body that was on show. Although he had always found other guys attractive since he was about fourteen, Ianto had never really taken it further than an appreciative glance, but he was having to keep his hormones under control in the presence of this gorgeous man. "That's a Welsh accent." Jack stated. Ianto's lips twitched into a smirk.

"That's an American accent." Jack laughed, and Ianto's smirk turned into a grin. He looked Ianto up and down again.

"You always this dressy?" He asked with a smile. Ianto blushed slightly.

"No, not really. It's a long story." He sighed. "Wedding yesterday, realized I'd packed all my clothes in the suitcase at the back of the boot and couldn't be bothered with the hassle of unpacking the car to get to them." Jack grinned.

"Shame." He said, meeting the other young man's eyes. "Looks good on you." Ianto blushed furiously and averted his eyes. Jack licked his lips. Red was _definitely_ Ianto's colour. The flat door was thrown open and a suitcase was rolled through into the hall, followed by a woman who looked enough like Ianto to be his sister. She smiled at Jack when she spotted him.

"Oh, 'ello there. You must be one of Ianto's new flatmates." She stepped over the suitcase and walked over to him, one hand outstretched. "I'm Rhiannon." He took her hand and kissed it.

"Your family has great genes. Are you all this gorgeous?" He purred. Rhiannon giggled and pulled her hand away.

"Ohh I like you." She turned to her brother. "Ere, Ianto, I'd reign this one in quick before someone gets there first." If possible, Ianto blushed even further. Jack winked at him.

"Did we wake you up?" Ianto asked him, quickly changing the subject. Jack smiled.

"Not really. I was kinda half-awake." He shrugged and stifled a yawn. "However I am definitely going to need a cup of coffee." He turned and made towards the kitchen.

"Hey, I'll take care of this," Rhiannon said to Ianto, gesturing at his suitcases, "you go and make him a cup of your wonderful coffee." She rummaged in a bag and held out a jar of coffee beans. "Go on!" Ianto was shoved in the direction of the kitchen, and Jack, who was laughing. Watching them together reminded him of how he and Gray used to be, before everything went wrong. Jack held open the door for Ianto, and winked at his sister before following.

"Sorry about my sister. She can be a little… too much, at times." Ianto said to him as he made his way to the kettle. Jack pulled a stool up beside the counter and watched him.

"That's what siblings are for, though." Jack grinned. "They're there to comfort, love, and embarrass." Ianto smiled as he turned from the kettle to face Jack. "She your only sibling?"

"Yeah. Just me and Rhi, always has been." Ianto told him. "You have siblings then?"

"Just the one, a brother." Jack kept the smile on his face. "Gray."

"Interesting name." Ianto commented. "But you're American, which means it's probably quite a normal-sounding name. More normal than Moon Child or Apple, at least." Jack laughed.

"I never understand people who give their children such outrageous names. It borders on child abuse." Ianto nodded agreement. "So… which part of Wales are you from?"

"Cardiff. Well, actually, I'm not. I mean, I was born in Newport, and then we moved to Swansea when I was two. My tad is a Swansea local, see, but my mam was from Newport, which is where my parents met. After about a year they moved to Cardiff. Then they got divorced when I was thirteen and my mam went back to Newport, and my tad went back to Swansea, and then Rhi was accepted at Cardiff University, and got a place with her boyfriend Johnny, and I was fed up of going back and forth between Swansea and Newport so they offered me a room at their place, and I've lived there up until now." Ianto paused, noting that Jack was staring at him with raised eyebrows, and he sighed. "I could have just answered with Cardiff." He forced the blush down. "Sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous."

"No need to be nervous. We're all in the same boat here." The kettle pinged to signal that the water was boiled, and Ianto busied himself with the coffee. "So what are you studying?"

"To avoid a long rambling journey to nowhere, I'll give you the basics." Ianto said without turning around. "Drama and Theatre. You?"

"Music and Film." Ianto walked over with a mug of coffee. Jack took it from him and sipped at it. It took a moment for the taste to sink in, and he stared down at the liquid in surprise. "Wow." He lifted his eyes to Ianto's face. "That is quite possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever tasted."

"I take my coffee seriously." Ianto said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Well it pays off." Jack smiled, taking a longer sip this time. "Gorgeous, and makes great coffee. I'm going to enjoy being your flatmate."

"There should be a ban against flirting this early in the morning." They both turned to the door at the new voice. Toshiko was just entering the kitchen, a smirk on her face. She walked over and held out a hand to Ianto. "I'm Tosh, room B."

"Ianto Jones."

"Oh, we have two Jones' in the flat then?" Tosh laughed. "Martha, in room D, she's a Jones."

"Oh yeah," Jack laughed. "Maybe you're related." Ianto smiled.

"Maybe. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. I mean, Jones is hardly a rare surname." He turned to Tosh. "Would you like some coffee?" She nodded.

"That would be lovely, thanks." Jack grinned.

"I'd sit down before you drink it. Trust me." He gulped down some more coffee. "It's excellent stuff." She raised her eyebrows but did as he suggested, and smiled at Ianto when he passed her a cup. She took an experimental sip, and set the cup down instantly, staring at it in surprise.

"I… see what you mean." She murmured. Ianto laughed quietly. It was always the same reaction whenever someone tasted his coffee. "That _is_ good coffee. Brilliant coffee." She picked up the cup once more and drank from it. "So where are you from?" Ianto opened his mouth to reply, but Jack got there first.

"Cardiff." He winked at Ianto, who smiled at him. Tosh watched the interaction with interest. "Tosh and Martha are both from London." He explained to Ianto. Jack suddenly frowned. "Speaking of, I wonder if she's even home yet. I'll be right back." He downed the rest of his coffee and left the kitchen. Ianto took a seat the other side of the counter from Tosh, his own mug of coffee in front of him.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" Tosh said suddenly, startling Ianto. His first impression of the young Asian woman was a quiet, shy, reserved lady. He hadn't expected her to be so blunt. He blushed slightly. Yes, Jack was gorgeous. He was probably the most gorgeous man Ianto had ever seen. "Major flirt, though."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." He smiled, and Tosh laughed. "My sister positively adores him already."

"Well, it's hard not to like him. When he's not flirting, he's a lovely guy." Tosh drank the rest of her coffee, and went to wash up her cup. "We should introduce you to our neighbours."

"Neighbours?" Ianto questioned.

"In the flat next door. We went out last night with them, and they're all great. They'll be looking forward to meeting you." Tosh turned from the sink and beamed at him. "I should warn you, though, Donna can talk for England. And she's loud. _Very_ loud." Ianto laughed quietly.

"Noted. Anything else I should know?"

"Rose is a proper girly girl. She'll probably only want to talk about shoes or clothes, so try to avoid big debates with her. Owen's a difficult guy, sarcastic and a bit rude at times, but he's generally okay." Tosh paused, considered something in her head, and then shrugged. "And the last guy, Theta, is the silent type. You'd probably get along with him just fine." She smiled. "Jack seems to like him, though. They were talking all night." The kitchen door opened and Jack quickly ran in, laughing. He ran across the room and ducked behind a sofa, just as the door swung open again to reveal Martha, who did not look pleased.

"Jack bloody Harkness I am going to kill you!" She was dressed only in a pair of pyjama bottoms and a sleeveless shirt, her hair kept away from her face in a loose ponytail.

"I was only checking to see if you'd come home!" Jack called out from behind the sofa. Martha scowled.

"By hammering on the door?!"

"I didn't say I was going the right way about it." He responded. Tosh covered her smile with her hand, not wanting to face Martha's wrath. Ianto watched them all with raised eyebrows, waiting for this new girl to notice that there was one extra person in the room. It took a moment, but then her eyes fell on him and realization struck.

"Oh. Hi. You're new." She said slowly. Ianto smiled pleasantly and waved. "Can I go out, come back in, and make a better first impression?" He nodded, and she quickly left the room. There was a moment's pause, in which Jack emerged from his cover, and she walked back in. "Hello there, I'm Martha Jones." She held out her hand, and Ianto stood up, and shook it.

"Ianto Jones." She raised her eyebrows.

"Another Jones? Well, snap!" She laughed. "And don't think you're forgiven, Harkness." She warned Jack, who had crept up behind Ianto, still partially hiding from her.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" He whined. "Ianto, save me!" Ianto yelped slightly when Jack suddenly grabbed him by the hips and cowered behind him. Martha and Tosh were both laughing now, and he tried not to smile back at them.

"Not even here five minutes and I'm already being molested." He murmured bluntly. Jack winked at him.

"Can't keep my hands off you." Ianto hoped he wasn't blushing again. That was the last thing he needed. Luckily, Martha saved him by reaching over and swatting Jack on the arm – hard, if his reaction was anything to go by.

"Stop flirting." She scolded him. "Reign it in for five seconds, will you?" Ianto was about to announce that he didn't really mind when his sister poked her head into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt," she smiled, "but I need to borrow Ianto back for a moment." Her eyes lowered to where Jack's hands were still holding Ianto's hips and her smile changed to a sly grin. Ianto sighed inwards. He wasn't going to hear the last of this. He eased out of Jack's grasp and quickly ducked out of the kitchen, hoping she wouldn't make some embarrassing comment if he left fast enough. When both Ianto and his sister were out of earshot, Tosh and Martha turned to Jack.

"He seems nice." Tosh smiled. "Polite, too." Martha nodded her agreement. Then they both stared at Jack, waiting for his input. He tried to look innocent for a moment, but then he grinned.

"Okay, okay, so he's hot. _Really_ hot, actually." He winked. "But don't worry ladies; you're still in with a chance." He laughed when they both rolled their eyes at him.

In Room A, Ianto was re-folding his shirts as he arranged them in his wardrobe, and trying to ignore the grin on his sister's face. He knew she would break and say something soon, but he wasn't quite sure when it was going to happen. She was unpacking his various books and DVDs, arranging them on the shelves above his desk. Every so often she would glance over at him, and then resume what she had been doing. Eventually, Ianto got fed up of waiting.

"Go on. Say whatever it is you want to say." He sighed, arranging his shirts by colour simply for something to distract himself with.

"I don't know what you mean." She said with a smirk. "Unless, of course, you mean that little incident with you and the good-looking bloke in the kitchen."

"He was using me as a shield to protect himself against the wrath of Martha." Ianto said quickly. "He grabbed me to position my body in front of his, and you just walked in before he could remove his hands."

"Oh come on Ianto. I saw the look in your eyes." She teased. "Does my baby brother have a crush on his pretty flatmate?" Ianto was glad that his head was stuck inside the wardrobe so she couldn't see how red he'd suddenly become.

"I've only just met him."

"Ooh, love at first sight, Ianto?"

"Be quiet, Rhi."

"Admit it, Yan. He's _gorgeous_." Ianto sighed. He knew that she would go on about it for weeks, even months. She'd never leave him alone. He closed his eyes as he came to a decision. He was going to give her something to keep her off his back for a while.

"He is very handsome." He said quietly. "Now stop it."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **There's chapter three then. Hope I didn't disappoint with Ianto's introduction XD Next chapter might be a while - I have a lot of assignments to work on so I can't get much time to write stories (and I have plenty of those to fill up whatever time I have). You'll just have to bear with me, kay? Just as a random side-note, I had the scene between Jack and Ianto and the conversation about where Ianto's from in my head for days after I thought it up walking to a lecture. If you read it through with their accents, that's how I first imagined it. XD Kept me amused, to say the least._

_Next chapter will include the second night out, and Ianto being introduced to Flat 24._

_- homesweethomicide13_


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